Exports to Morocco rise by 81pc: SBP

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's exports to Morocco - North African country - have registered an increase of 81 percent from July-October 2016 over the corresponding period last year, a State bank of Pakistan's report said.

According to the report, this was the highest increase in exports to any country this year at a time when Pakistan's overall exports have fallen. Although the report does not mention the sectors that have shown improvement, it was widely believed that efforts of Pakistan's Ambassador to Morocco Nadir Chaudhri, to diversify exports from traditional sectors, has borne fruit.

Talking to APP from Rabat, Ambassador Chaudhri said that it was the directives and guidance of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that had led to increase in exports. He said, "Our mission has gone to every corner of Morocco for highlighting our products by holding Trade and Business road shows in every major city and I regularly meet and brief all the chambers of commerce and top importers and business leaders".

He said Morocco was an important country for Pakistani exporters as it was the gateway to Africa and in particular West Africa and these markets were full of potential. "Africa is being called the new Asia, by 2050 the population of this continent will reach 4 billion and Pakistan cannot ignore Africa anymore" he added.

The ambassador said that for this reason he had proposed to the government to hold a 'Pakistan-Africa Summit' in Islamabad during 2017. "This is all the more relevant in the backdrop of CPEC" he added. Ambassador Chaudhri was hopeful that the long delayed Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) meeting between Pakistan and Morocco would be held soon after the formation of the new government in Rabat (Morocco).

"We have a long agenda of turning MoUs into agreements and negotiating easier term for our exporters. High level bilateral visits are also expected in 2017 and all of this would place our bilateral relations with Morocco in a much higher orbit," he opined.